| Special purpose codes | Definition |
|---|---|
| Migratory | Used to code people who are in transit on long distance trains, buses, aircraft and long-haul road transport vehicles on Census night. |
| Offshore | Used to code people who are on oil rigs and drilling platforms etc. on Census night. Also used for expeditioners in the Australian Antarctic Territory. |
| Shipping | Used to code people who are on board vessels in Australian waters, in or between Australian ports on Census night. |
| No usual address | Used to code people who have no fixed address, including travellers who move across Australia and people sleeping rough. |
Place of usual residence (PURP)
Latest release
Census of Population and Housing: Census dictionary
Reference period
2026
Released
21/07/2026
Definition
This variable records where a person usually lives. This may be different from where they were counted on Census night.
The base area for this variable is a mesh block (MB), the smallest geographical area which forms the building blocks for the larger regions in the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) areas.
Scope
All persons
Categories
In addition to the ASGS geographic areas, the following categories are also included.
| Code | Category |
|---|---|
| Migratory, offshore and shipping | |
| No usual address | |
| VVVV | Overseas visitor |
Number of categories: Total number of categories will depend on the geographic level chosen
See Understanding supplementary codes for more information.
Special purpose code definitions
Question(s) from the Census form
What is the address of this dwelling?
Where does the person usually live?
How this variable is created
Place of usual residence (PURP), is coded using the following rules:
- For respondents who are home on Census night:
- The response to what is the address of this dwelling is used to derive the place of usual residence. These addresses are then coded to Mesh Blocks (MB) where possible using automated or clerical processes.
- For respondents not home on Census night, but living elsewhere in Australia:
- Addresses are coded to Mesh Blocks (MB) where possible using automated or clerical processes.
- For respondents with no usual address:
- Respondents are instructed to enter ‘None’ in the suburb or locality field. Each state/territory has one Statistical Area 1 (SA1) and Statistical Area 2 (SA2) imputed specifically for these responses.
- Shipping and offshore SA1s are valid for PURP.
- Migratory SA1s are not valid for PURP. These responses are imputed to a valid spatial SA1.
- For incomplete residential address responses:
- PURP is imputed at the most appropriate ASGS level.
- Respondents who usually live overseas are coded to ‘Overseas visitor’.
History and changes
A question on place of usual residence was first included in the 1971 Census and has been asked in every Census since.
There have been no changes for the 2026 Census.